MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
a division of the
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Division of Drug and Crime Control-P.O. Box 568, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102

Press Release

For further information please contact: Sergeant Bradley R. Germann
     
573-526-6122
01/15/2025
January 15, 2025

EMPHASIS: Tecumseh, Missouri, Woman Arrested For Murder-2nd Degree And Assault

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control announces the arrest of
Patricia Ann Santos Duvalier, 59, of Tecumseh, MO.

Santos Duvalier was formally charged on Jan. 12, 2025, with one count of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree assault.

On October 13, 2024, the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control to assist with a death investigation. A 37-year-old woman was found deceased in front of a home in Tecumseh from a blunt force trauma wound, as determined by a subsequent autopsy.

Santos Duvalier became a suspect in the assault and neglect of someone related to the deceased victim and was formally charged with one count of first-degree assault after a lengthy investigation. At the same time, Santos Duvalier was identified as a person of interest in the death of the 37-year-old woman following an extensive investigation by multiple law enforcement entities.

The Ozark County Prosecutor’s Office formally charged Santos Duvalier with one count of second-degree murder in the death of the 37-year-old woman on Jan. 12, 2025. Santos Duvalier is being held at the Ozark County Jail without bond.

The Troop G Criminal Investigation Unit of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control, Department Health and Senior Services, and the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office worked together to investigate and arrest Santos Duvalier.

The above charges are mere accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of these charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.


Follow the Missouri State Highway Patrol on X @MSHPTrooperDDCC

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